Process of cooling internal combustion engines



Patented Sept. I3, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CHARLES .K. HAGUE,OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO SUN OIL COMPANY, OF

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA,

AGORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY PBOGESS OF COOLING INTERNAL COMBUSTIONENGINES 80 Drawing. Application filed July 18,

In the water cooling systems of internal combustion engines, such, forexample, as those employed in automobiles, rust forms at certain loci inthe circulatory system, dirt and sludge accumulate, rust, particularlyfrom the motor block, is carried to the radiator and clogs or plugs thesmall water passages, and impurities in the water attack the solder orother binders or welders, the latter action being especially harmful anddangerous. The resultant deterioration shortens the life of a radiator.The extent and rapidity of the corrosion thus produced varies with thecharacter of the water." Thus, wa-. ter which is distinctly alkaline orsaline pro motes rapid corrosion and in many regions,

due to the alkaline or saline character of the water or to itspossession of some other chemical characteristics, the deteriorat'on isso hardly exceeds two months.

The object of the invention isto provide a liquid for we in such coolingsystems which will prevent or minimize deterioration of the radiator andother parts with which the water contacts and which, at the same time,will not materially reduce the heat transfer and which will be a solventfor any nonfreezing substance, such as alcohol, glycerin or glycol,which may be desirably added thereto in cold weather.

My invention, in its narrower aspect, comprises a process wherein aninternal combustion engine is cooled by utilizing, to absorb heat fromthe engine and to disseminate that heat into the atmosphere, water towhich has been added mineral oil and a fatty acid soap derived frommineral oil, the mixture of mineral oil and fatty acid soap being suchas to be miscible with water in all proportions. A desirable specificcomposition comprises from one-third to one part, by weight, of min eraloil and fatty acid soap to 100 parts of water. For example, if thecooling system of an automobile engine requires five to six gal- 1930.Serial No. 469,005.

vents rust or corrosion. I do not, however,

undertake to specify with certainty the precise action of thecomposition whereby it produces the specified result, the onlydemonstrated fact being that the composition does in fact effectuallyprevent corrosion or at least reduces it to a substantially harmlessdegree. My tests show, however, that water that has been admitted to anengine that has been so treated is apparently perfectly clear and not anemulsion. From this it seems ob vious that the mixture of soap and oiladded.

to the water has been'deposited and is no longer carried in suspension,since, if it were, the emulsion or suspension would be slightly milky.

The efliciency in preventing deterioration by the addition to water ofthe specified composition for a substantial length of time was capableof proof only by tests involving the lapse of such time. Such testsprove that the composition is operative for a period approximating twoyears. It is probable that the effect is substantially permanent, butonly experiments continued for a considerably longer period candemonstrate that, conclusively. It may be said with certainty,therefore, that the efiiciency of the liquid is not measurably reducedafter the lapse of at least a year or two, notwithstanding the usualfrequent replenishment of the water supply to replace losses by'evaporation. Since the composition which is added to the water is quitecheap, it may be desirable to drain the system and add a new volume ofthe liquid about once a year; or perhaps, out of excess of caution,somewhat more frequently.

If, as I believe, the action of the liquid is due to. the formationonthe container walls no thicker than about 1/1000 of an inch or evenless.

Any substance or compound which is ordinarily added to water to preventfreezing can be added 'to the liquid which I use, with which suchanti-freezing substances or compounds are soluble or miscible to thesame egree as with ordinary water.

The composition which I add to water to produce the liquid used in mycooling sys- 'tem may be that produced in the treatment of lubricatingoil stock by the addition of sulphuric or other mineral acid, agitation,withdrawal of the acid sludge, addition of caustic soda or other alkali,agitation, and Withdrawal of the alkali precipitate or soda sludge? Thissoda sludge may be purified, if desired, by the processes described inthe Maitland Patents 1,425,882 and 1,425,884, August 16, 1922, and theHughes Patent No. 1,577,723, March 23, 1926. A typical compositioncomprises mineral oil, 46% soap, 11%; petroleum resins, 17.1%; sodiumsulfate, 2.3%; water, 23%. The proportions of the above specifiedingredients may be regulated as desired by separating the mineral oil asdescribed in the Alleman Patent No, 1,694,463, December 11, 1928, or byseparatingthe mineral oil and the petroleum resins as described in theAlleman Patent No. 1,694,461. A substantial proportion of mineral oilmay be added to the foregoing composition or to the fatty acid soap ifthe latter is separated. When mixed with water, there is formed amilk-white and substantially per fect emulsion.

In place of mineral oil may be substituted any known animal or vegetable"oil, and in place of a fatty acid soap derived from mineral oil may besubstituted any fatty acid soap; provided, however, that\ such oil andsoap are miscible with water in practicable proportions. Thus, certainknown cutting oils may be substituted for the specific compositionherein specified. The composition herein specified, however, presentsdecided advantages over any other composition, and I therefore claim itspecifically as well as generically.

The proportions hereinbefore specified are merely illustrative. It ispossible to uti lize, and obtain, in greater or less degree, the resultsought, by using a substantially smaller proportion of mineral oil andfatty acid soap, say as low as one-twentieth or onetenth of one percent. So, also, the proportions may substantially exceed one per cent.,say two or three per cent., but without corresponding advantage. So farI have found a proportion of from one-half to two-thirds of one percent. to be satisfactory.

It is preferable, in practicing my process, to first drain the system ofsuch water as 1t may contain and then introduce the emulsion of water,oil and fatty acid soap into the system in the usual way, namely, at theinlet at the top of the radiator. The water, as it evaporates, must be,of course, replenished from time to time. Such evaporation of water andrepeated addition of fresh water to the cooling system does not affectthe efliciency of the composition due, doubtless, to the fact that theoil or fatty acid soap, or, more probably, both, form an adherentprotective coating on the walls of parts that would otherwise besubjected to progressive corrosion.

If a coating of rust is already present in the circulatory system, it isadvisable, before adding the composition of water, oil and soap, toflush the system with a hot solution of alkali in order to wash away anyoxide which is not cemented to the metal. The'drain cock of the radiatorshould be removed in order to afford as large an opening as possible forthe passage of the rust flakes. The nozzle of a hose should then beapplied to the filler cap of the radiator to allow the full waterpressure to wash out the alkali. The system should then be filled withthe composition in the same way in which water is ordinarily suppliedthereto.

The composition should not be added at the same time alcohol is added,since an alkali soap will be formed that will foam through the overflowpipe of the radiator. If alcohol has been added to the water and themotor has been run a short time, no soap forms.

I have heretofore stated that the use of my process does not interferewith the use of antifreeze compositions. One unexpected function of myprocess is that it insures the efiiciency of certain anti-freezecompositions, such as glycerin or glycol, in extremely cold weather. Itsometimes happens that the ad dition of glycerin fails to preventfreezing in zero or sub-zero weather. Thus I have found to be due to thefact that oxide in the water raises the cold test. There may be enoughoxide present to raise the cold test 10 or 15 F. By the use of myprocess, the water is free of this oxide and the glycerin has itscalculated anti-freeze value.

There may be a slight reduction in the heat transfer rate due to thecoating which it is be- 1. The process of cooling such part of aninternal combustion engine as it is desired to cool while minimizingcorrosion which com prises circulating, in heat exchange relation withsuch engine part and the atmosphere, water to which has been added arelatively small proportion of an oil-containing composition which ismiscible with water in any proportion forming an emulsion.

2. The process of cooling such part of an internal combustion engine asit is desired to cool'while minimizing corrosion which comprisescirculating, in heat exchange relation with such engine part and theatmosphere, water to which has been added a relatively small proportionof a mixture of oil and fatty acid soap which is miscible with water inany proportion forming an emulsion.

3. The process of cooling such part of an internal combustion engine asit is desired to cool while minimizing corrosion which comprisescirculating, in heat exchange relation with such engine part and theatmosphere, water to which has been added a relatively small proportionof a mixture of mineral oil and fatty acid soap which is miscible withwater in any proportion.

4. The process of cooling such part of an internal combustion engine asit is desired to cool while minimizing corrosion which comprisescirculating, in heat exchange relation with such engine part and theatmosphere, water to which has been added a relatively small proportionof a mixture of oil and a fatty acid soap derived from mineral oil andwhich is miscible with water in any proportion forming an emulsion.

5. The process of cooling such part of an internalcombustion engine asit is desired to cool while minimizing corrosion which comprisescirculating, in heat exchange relation with such engine part and theatmosphere, water to which has been added a relatively small proportionof a water miscible mixture of mineral oil and a fatty acid soap derivedfrom mineral oil.

6. The process of cooling such part of an intrnalcombustion engine as itis desired to cool while minimizing corrosion which comprisescirculating, in heat exchange relation with such engine part and theatmosphere, water to which has been added from .05 to 3 per cent. of anoil-containing composition which is miscible with water in the specifiedproportion forming an emulsion.

8. The process of cooling such part of an internal combustion engine asit is desired to cool while minimizing corrosion which comprisescirculating, in heat exchange relation with such engine part and theatmosphere, water to which has been added from .05 to 3 per cent. of amixture of mineral oil and fatty acid soap derived from mineral oil.

9. The process of cooling such part of an internal combustion engine asit is desired to cool while minimizing corrosion which comprisescirculating, in'heat exchange relation with such engine part and theatmosphere, water to which has been added from onethird of one per cent.to one per cent. of an oil-containing composition which is miscible withwater in the specified proportion forming an emulsion.

10. The process of cooling such part of an internal combustion engine asit is desired to cool while minimizing corrosion which comprisescirculating, in heat exchange relation with such engine part and theatmosphere, water to which has been added from one-third of one percent. to one per cent. of a mixture of oil and fatty acid soap which ismiscible with water forming an emulsion.

11. The process of cooling such part of an internal combustion engine asit is desired to cool while minimizing corrosion which comprisescirculating, in heat exchange relation with such engine part and theatmosphere, water to which has been added from one-third of one percent. to one per cent. of a mixture of mineral oil and fatty acid soapderived from mineral oil.

12. The process of protecting the water circulating system of an'internal combustion engine agalnst substantial deterioration whichcomprises applying to the internal metal surfaces of the system anadherent coating comprising mainly mineral oil.

13. The process of protecting the water circulating system of aninternal combustion engine against substantial deterioration whichcomprises applying to the internal metal surfaces of the system anadherent coating comprising a composition of mineral oil and fatty acidsoap.

In testimony of which invention, I have hereunto set my hand, atDetroit, Mich, on this 12 day of Jul 1930.

CHARLES K. HAGUE.

7. The process of cooling such part of an internal combustion engine asit is desired to cool while mlnnmzing corrosion WhlCh comprisescirculating, in heat exchange relation with such engine part and theatmosphere, waterto which has been added from .05 to 3 per cent. of amixture of oil and fatty acid soa which is miscible with water in thespecified proportion forming an emulsion.

